Ex-Cobblers skipper Richards targeting promotion as he joins Swindon Town

Marc Richards has revealed he made the decision to leave the Cobblers as he ‘wasn’t happy sitting on the bench’ at Sixfields - and he is now aiming to fire the goals to help new club Swindon Town to promotion from league two this season.

The Robins unveiled the 35-year-old as their new signing on Monday night, just hours after it had been announced by the Cobblers that Richards had left the club ‘by mutual consent’.

I wasn’t just happy sitting on the bench at Northampton and not getting much game time. I still feel like I’ve got a lot to give to a team

Marc Richards

Richards, who had six months left on his deal at Sixfields, has signed an 18-month deal at the County Ground, where he teams up with former Cobblers team-mates Matt Taylor, Keshi Anderson and Ollie Banks, who he also played with at Chesterfield.

That contract will see Richards through to his 37th birthday, but he insists there is still plenty of life in his legs yet, and he wanted to join an ambitious club, which he believes Swindon is under manager David Flitcroft.

“Being made available by Northampton I had some interest from a couple of clubs in league two, and both clubs were pushing for promotion,” Richards told swindontownfc.co.uk

“A big thing for me was to join a club that was looking for success at the end of the season, and having spoken to the manager here and a couple of players in the squad that I know, it seemed a good choice to make.

“Pushing for promotion is the biggest factor for myself.”

Swindon are currently ninth in Sky Bet League Two, but such is the competitive nature of the division, they are level on points with Mansfield Town in the final play-off position, and just two points off third-placed Accrington Stanley in the final automatic spot.

Richards, who has won promotion from league two on three previous occasions, including with the Cobblers as they won the title in 2016, says he is keen to just get out on the pitch on a regular basis again, something he felt was being denied him at Sixfields.

Chris Long is manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s number one striking choice for the Cobblers, meaning chances have been limited for Richards, who has had a difficult season and hasn’t scored since mid-August.

“I wasn’t just happy sitting on the bench at Northampton and not getting much game time,” said Richards.

“I still feel like I’ve got a lot to give to a team so to come here and possibly get more minutes under my belt and get back on the scoresheet is a feeling that I’ve missed over the past two or three months.

“To join a group that is doing really well in the league is exciting and I want to try and help them as much as possible with my experience of this league.

“I’ve played at league one and league two level for most of my career, it is something that I’m used to and I’ve played a lot of games and scored a lot of goals.

“So if I can help the younger lads with my experience at this level then it can only be a positive for the team.”

Richards will be hoping to make his Swindon debut on Saturday when they travel to promotion rivals Coventry City.